The Georgia Lady Bulldogs Are A Team Erk Russell Could Love
Defense is this years Georgia Lady Bulldogs’ calling card.
The Georgia Lady Bulldogs began the season on a mission. Going undefeated early, including tough wins at Ohio State and Georgia Tech, carrying Head Coach Andy Landers to his Alma Mater for career Georgia coaching win number 850.
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Extending their early season work, they stretched the season opening
to 12 before crashing at the hands of Seton Hall and Mississippi State. Since dusting themselves off, the Lady Bulldogs reeled off two more wins, including thrashings of SEC foes Alabama and Missouri.
The mission is ongoing as Georgia marches within six wins of program victory number 900 (Georgia became the tenth women’s program to win 850 games in 2013) and with Coach Landers 11 wins from career victory 950, the Lady Bulldogs put that milestone within view of this season.
As compelling as their success is these ladies’ method. Andy Landers’ teams always play defense with a passion. However, no women’s team approaches the inhospitable attitude these Lady Bulldogs bring to the defensive end of the court.
Georgia is the only Division 1 women’s basketball team to rank in the top 25 in scoring defense (52.3 points per game, ranked 6)), three-point percentage defense (35.9%, ranked 24), steals per game (12.3, ranked 12), and is ranked 29 in field goal percentage defense, .4% out of the top 10 (35.0).
Defense carries these Lady Bulldogs as they are, well, no offense to their obvious beauty, intelligence and passion, they are dogs on offense. The statistical highlight for the Lady Bulldogs is a 105 nationally ranking in turnovers per game (15.4, though leaving the ladies a nice 5.38 turnover margin per game, a national 32 ranking).
The team ranks 125 in free throw percentage (69.7), ranks 171 in scoring offense with 65 points a game (leaving the ladies with a 15.8 scoring margin for a 29 national rank ), ranks 228 in field goal percentage (38.4%), ranks 216 in three-pointers per game (4.7), and 233 in field goal percentage (29.1 %.).
However, do not disparage these ladies. This is a team Bulldogs can easily learn to love – especially those that grew up in Erk Russell’s “Junk Yard Dawg” era. And with their blue-collar approach to game time, if you are old enough you might picture the team poster with the members outfitted like Rosie the Riveter. After all defense is beautiful too.
Bottom line, there is very little more attractive to the Georgia Nation than winning and these Lady Dawgs are keepers.